This young brave knight to her reply'd.
"Thy suit, fair maid, shall not be deny'd, 20
"If thou canst answer me questions three,
This very day will I marry thee."
"Kind sir, in love, O then," quoth she,
"Tell me what your three questions be."
"O what is longer than [the way]? 25
Or what is deeper than the sea?
"Or what is louder than a horn?
Or what is sharper than a thorn?
"Or what is greener than the grass?
Or what is worse than a woman was?" 30
"O love is longer than the way,
And hell is deeper than the sea.
"And thunder's louder than the horn,
And hunger's sharper than a thorn.
"And [poyson's] greener than the grass, 35
And the devil's worse than the woman was."
When she these questions answered had,
The knight became exceeding glad.